Read Online A Kiss of Fire: A Kiss of Magic Book 2 by Jacquelyn Frank - Free Book Online

undergarments. She got into the water with a moan of pleasure. The hot water immediately sank into her sore muscles, allowing her to relax. She looked around herself then and saw a large, ornate metal door in one wall. Iron. Iron and stone. Two things she could not set on fire. Perhaps if she worked hard enough she could melt the iron of the door, but again that would gain her nothing. She would then have to step through a pile of melted metal…and even she could not stand to touch metal that hot. And the act would completely exhaust her, leaving her no way of defending herself afterward.
    And then there was Mariah to consider. She couldn’t leave her behind.
    Where was Mariah?
    And as if she had asked aloud, the door to the room opened and in walked Mariah. Ariana sank down into the tub, shielding herself from whomever else might come in, but the door closed in Mariah’s wake. Mariah, looking freshly bathed and dressed in a fresh frock came hurrying over to her.
    “My lady! I thought I would die when I woke up and you were gone!” she gushed out, falling to her knees and throwing her arms about Ariana’s shoulders. Ariana hugged the girl back, just as glad to see her. Then Mariah sat back and looked her and the room over critically.
    “Well,” she said, “may as well get you bathed and dressed.”
    “Dressed in what? Not in that thing,” she said, nodding toward the offensive dress she’d been wearing for two weeks.
    “I’m sure there’s something somewhere. In some of those drawers perhaps.” Mariah handed her a sponge and some soap she found on the floor, then she got up to look in the drawers.
    She took out a colorful skirt and a violet colored blouse. The Sarens wore single dresses, empire waisted gowns that went to the floor. These clothes were in the loose fitting Kiltian style.
    “There are no under garments,” Mariah noted with a frown.
    “Why am I not surprised?” Ariana sighed. “I guess I should be grateful he’s letting me get dressed at all.” She eyed Mariah’s simple knee-length skirt and blouse in a pale blue color. “You wear it well.”
    “I’m just grateful to be out of my old dress. Now bathe. Let’s get you cleaned and dressed before anyone decides to come in.”
    “I have a feeling we are being monitored.”
    “What makes you say that?”
    “Because I thought of you and suddenly there you were. I’ll bet they are reading my thoughts.”
    “Don’t get paranoid now. I’ve been kicking up a fuss ever since I had my bath. I think they just got tired of hearing me yell.”
    “Mariah, I didn’t know you could be so troublesome,” Ariana said with amusement.
    “Wait until I get my hands on one of them when they aren’t paying attention. I don’t care if I don’t have any majic. A kick in the groin is still a kick in the groin.”
    “Ouch. You have a point. But please…don’t do anything that will get you into trouble. I would hate to see you hurt and I have no way of protecting you. In fact, I think they will use you as a means to keep me in line. They already have been.”
    “I know. And I’m sorry for that. If you had been alone, you might could have escaped. But I thought you would be better off to have me as not. I wasn’t thinking I could be a hindrance to you.”
    “No! Don’t you dare worry about that. You were very brave and loyal for what you did. I won’t soon forget it.” Ariana began to bathe in earnest, scrubbing away days of filth. She didn’t know what Kiltian bathing habits were, but it was inexcusable that they hadn’t been offered a bath once since leaving Capitol City. Then again, they had been in wild country. The only thing they could have used was an obliging stream…and that would have been freezing even to her.
    Still, had they been on the road there could have been an inn or something. Maybe. They were in hard country now…Kiltian lands. It was hard to know what was available. It had only been two autumns since the Kiltians had had